Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi Review

Overall 4.50 of 5 view all 4 reviews

Fardreamer
Miami, FL

Ewoks and Sith Lords and Jedi, oh my!

Long-time reviewer, Star Wars fan of the 1977 Generation, John Williams fan, Film music lover, Star Wars fan, DVD collector

Pros

Concludes both Trilogies, Mostly solid script, Exciting battles, Classic Williams score

DEC

2007

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi —

On the afternoon of May 25, 1983 - after a mad 80-mph dash along the Palmetto Expressway from South Miami High to what was by then the Dadeland Triple Theater, my best friend Richard de la Pena and I found ourselves among the hundreds of avid Star Wars fans who wanted to see Star Wars - Episode VI: Return of the Jedi on Opening Day.

Luckily, because Richard - who passed away this past June - was confined to a wheelchair, the theater manager let us in to buy our tickets and find seating, bypassing the blocks-long lines that had formed outside. We had not counted on this, but we were thrilled, because we'd been talking about what the movie might or might not show since ninth grade in 1980.

Three years had passed since Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back had left viewers of George Lucas' space-fantasy saga wondering about the various questions raised by that film's cliffhanger "conclusion." Would the Rebellion recover from its defeat at the Battle of Hoth? Would Luke Skywalker keep his promise to his Jedi Masters and go back to Dagobah to complete his training? Would Leia, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca, and the rest of the Star Wars heroes be able to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt? More importantly, was Darth Vader really Luke's supposedly-murdered father, or was that a calculated lie enhanced by the dark side of the Force?

Return of the Jedi, of course, had all the answers for these questions, as well as the more-or-less surprising revelation that Luke and Leia were not just brother and sister but twin brother and sister, which neatly solved the issue of which guy will Leia end up with romantically at the end, but - for some viewers, anyway - makes re-watching several scenes from The Empire Strikes Back feel a bit, um, icky. (To Lucas' credit though, the Luke-Leia relationship isn't as "bad" as the one between two characters in a Wagner opera who know they're related but still get romantically involved!)

Because Jedi is the third act of a three-act story, its plot is fairly simple to summarize. Luke, Leia, Lando, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3PO arrive on the young Jedi-to-be's home planet of Tatooine in an attempt to rescue Han Solo from Jabba's massive palace. They don't "storm the palace gates" as a group; instead, they infilitrate the palace by various means.

The rescue mission seems to go awry when Leia, who made her way to Jabba's inner court disguised as a bounty hunter, is caught trying to lead a now-thawed-from-carbonite Han out of the palace, but when Luke Skywalker finally arrives, alone and unarmed, we realize that there's more going on here than even the old and wily slug-like Jabba can possibly imagine.

The rescue sequence that follows is essentially a tribute to movies along the lines of The Adventures of Robin Hood and Captain Blood, with Mark Hamill's Luke as a 1980s stand-in for Errol Flynn's titular hero-types. Jabba's sail barge and accompanying skiffs bring to mind pirate vessels from "pirate movies," and the fights' choreography harkens back to the action serials of the 1930s and '40s that inspired Lucas to create the Star Wars movies.

With Jabba and his minions deal with and Han Solo back in the world of the living, the Rebel heroes once again split off, albeit temporarily. Luke and R2-D2 head back to Dagobah to reunite with Yoda, while Han, Leia, Chewie, Lando, and C-3PO join the Rebel armada massing near Sullust, where they learn that the Empire is building a new Death Star above the Sanctuary Moon of Endor. Unfinished and supposedly protected only by an energy shield, the battle station's vulnerability makes it an attractive target for an all-out attack....and the fact that the Emperor himself is overseeing its completion makes it an irresistible proposition.

Co-writers Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan thus set up the ultimate confrontation between good and evil on various levels. They set the scene for the "fanboy pleasing" Big Battle pitting the outnumbered but plucky Rebel fleet against the bloated Death Star and a large portion of the Imperial Starfleet in space, as well as a Guns of Navarone-style special operations effort to destroy the shield generator on Endor.

But the big battles in space and on the forest moon are secondary to the emotional struggle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, the "dark father" figure who was once Anakin Skywalker and was turned to the dark side of the Force by the cunning and purely evil Emperor Palpatine. Vader's goal is to turn Luke to the dark side so they can then pull a "Sith-y" trick on Palpatine and overthrow the Emperor; Palpatine wants Luke to give in to his hate and anger and defeat Vader so the younger Skywalker can become the new Sith apprentice.

Luke, of course, wants neither of these options. He believes with every fiber of his being that Anakin Skywalker can be redeemed:

[Referring to Vader]
Princess Leia: But, why must you confront him?
Luke: Because, there is good in him. I've felt it. He won't turn me over to the Emperor. I can save him. I can turn him back to the good side. I have to try.

Assets: Although it's perhaps a bit weaker than A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back due to its having to be the "wrapping up the whole story" chapter, Jedi still has lots going for it. It adds a more sympathetic dynamic to Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker's character, who starts out the Trilogy as the perfect embodiment of evil and ends it as a tragic hero who has to choose between being the Emperor's servant or saving his son's life. His transition from villain to redeemed Jedi Knight seems abrupt - although not unexpected - when seen out of context with Episodes I-III, but now the Lucas-Kasdan approach to Anakin's return makes sense.

Another subtext, which gets lost with many fans' dislike of the Ewoks, is Lucas' take on the Battle of Endor as a metaphor for the Vietnam War. In Jedi, the vast technological advantage the Empire seemingly has is trumped by the bravery and determination of the almost-primitive Ewoks and a handful of Rebel humans.

Of course, with each Episode in the saga, Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm's special effects company, offered audiences "bigger and better bangs for the buck," and Return of the Jedi simply blew its two predecessors away in the effects sequences. Although still limited to showing worlds that were Earth-like, ILM still wowed viewers with such sequences as Luke's confrontation with the rancor in Jabba's dungeon, the speeder bike chases on Endor, and the still-impressive space battles around the Death Star.

It also goes without saying that John Williams composed yet another brilliant score that builds on established themes from A New Hope and Empire, while adding new motifs for Jabba, the Skywalker Twins, the Ewoks, and the evil Palpatine, whose dark and sinister theme would be heard in various scenes in the Prequel Trilogy.

Liabilities: As much as I love the Star Wars sextet of films, I do sometimes have some nit-picking concerns about each Episode. I'm not bothered by the Ewoks, and I ignore continuity goofs that appear throughout the movie unless they really stand out. But now, especially since the release of Revenge of the Sith, I'm not too thrilled with Leia's statement that she has vague memories of her mother. If Episode III had ended a bit differently - say, with Amidala hiding out on Alderaan and dying when little Leia was two or three years old - okay, I can buy into the scene. But no, Amidala died shortly after Leia's birth, so the Princess either has strong Jedi senses or Lucas chose to ignore the inherent flaw in the logic here.

Episode VI: Return of the Jedi: The DVD: Although all the changes made to the Star Wars Trilogy have met opposition from many fans, most of the criticism is aimed at Jedi, particularly the replacement of Sebastian Shaw as the "spirit" of Anakin Skywalker in the "Jedi Spirits" sequence by actor Hayden Christensen and a brief shot of Naboo (Palpatine and Padme Amidala's home world in Episodes I-III) inserted into the galactic celebration. (There is a Gungan who shouts "Wesa free!"...and it's presumed that it's Jar Jar Binks...but is it?)

The 2004 DVD also includes behind the scenes commentary by George Lucas, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher.

Final Thoughts: As imperfect as it may be, Jedi is still one of my favorite films, not just as the conclusion of the complete Star Wars saga, but as an enjoyable movie-watching experience. It's exciting, humorous, and, yes, even heartwarning.

Last edited on Dec 13, 2007

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Comments about Fardreamer’s Review

In response to mrkstvns's comment from Dec 14, 2007 at 8:43AM:

Actually, though, most of Star Wars is implausible, from a purely realistic point of view.

It always bothered me that imperial walkers could be destroyed by logs whacking their sides or ropes tied around their legs...the battle on Endor seemed too improbable IMHO...